This invention relates to a general power system for vehicles. In order to improve the power range of an efficient electrical system, the inclusion of virtually pollutionless thermal engines have been proposed. The power system is a combination between a thermal engine and an associated electric transmission and storage system. The combined system depends on the efficiency, cost effectiveness and complimentary advantages of each technology with avoidance of any technologies-specific disadvantages.
The efficiency of thermal engines, in particular internal combustion engines is comprised by the requirement that the engine operate efficiently under vastly different load and demand conditions. However, with the advent of improved electrical storage systems in the form of advanced battery designs and high density capacitors, a power surge can be instantaneously and effectively delivered to a drive motor to respond to changes in power demand and load. With the thermal engine largely insulated from the instantaneous variations in required performance, the design criteria for the thermal engine can be directed at optimizing the efficiency within the total variation load and range required to generate and deliver electrical power.
The engine can work at constant intake pressure produced by the electrically driven compressor, and the separated gas turbine, driving an electric generator, and converting totally the exhaust energy into electrical energy, avoiding the waste gate.
This invention relates to a general power system including a novel centrifugal compressor and turbine combination. In advanced hybrid propulsion power systems designed for fuel efficient power generation vehicles and such, the trend has been to develop non-polluting electric vehicle systems. All-electric vehicle systems, however, lack the range necessary for general utility. Furthermore, equipping and maintaining vehicles with large battery banks for electricity storage is expensive. Also, while designated zero emission vehicles, the pollution in generating electrical energy is not factored into pollution levels per mile of travel of all-electric vehicles.
The general power system used for hybrid propulsion systems couples fuel-efficient, energy generating systems with electrical propulsion systems. Because the electrical propulsion system draws from the energy storage components for responding to real-time, load and demand requirements, the energy generating components are designed to replenish or keep up with averaged electrical draw.
The attenuating effect of the hybrid system allows thermal engines to be designed for optimized operation within all modulated range of power demands.
In the system devised, the compressor and turbine combination is operated in a Brayton cycle to take advantage of the flat fuel consumption at different loads. Since the system operates at its ideal pressure ratio, efficiency is maximized.
By separately driving the compressor, the optimum pressure is independent of the potential gas expansion, which is dependent on the thermal energy added to the pressurized gas.
The compressor and turbine combination of this invention is designed to operate with a variety of thermal energy sources as described in the detailed description of the preferred embodiments.